Chromatography Forum

I'm using a Tosoh SuperSW3000 (diol coated silica, 4.6mm x 30 cm) column to do SEC on proteins. In my latest attempt to prolong the life of these columns I decided to try using a silica saturator column before the injector. I decided to do this after I opened one of my old, worn out columns and found that it had a void of about .5 - 1 cm at the inlet. I use an aqueous mobile phase with a pH right around 7, so from everything I've read I should expect the stationary phase to slowly dissolve. Long story short, I wrote down the wrong catalog number and now I'm sitting here with a C18 saturator column instead of a bare silica one. Apparently the C18 saturator is to protect hydrophobic bonded phases from acidic mobile phases. Will this offer any protection for my column? I plan on ordering plain silica, but in the meantime should I use what I have? Also, do silica saturator columns offer much protection in the first place?

first, I've never used any saturator column nor do I have any real experience with SEC, so I can't say a word if such columns provide any advantages.

But the other thing I wonder, why don't you ask for exchange of the C18 column and return it? I guess they should be gentle in taking back if the box is still sealed?
And then think of how long could it take until you get the right one?
So how many injections will you be doing until then and after how many injections did the old one die?
-> Maybe just start without any saturator column and after you get the right one, install it?
Could be the cheapest way, as you just need to buy one column.

That's what I plan to do. The column comes unpacked, with a bottle of silica. I just checked for the one that comes with normal silica, it's been discontinued. So I just ordered some plain silica to use in the hardware that came with the kit. If I'd realized what I was doing I would've just bought the plain silica and used an old guard column. I'm primarily wondering if anyone has any experience using a saturator column with diol coated SEC columns.